By Mark Dauenhauer
As the Education Director for The Lauterstein-Conway Massage School I meet and interact with between 200-300 students per year. I’m with them for their very first class and periodically teach certain classes as they move through our program, so I get to see the maturation of the students as a group and for most on a one on one level as well. One of the things that I get to see in that maturation is the result of the magic that is being performed by our instructors and assistant instructors every time they teach, every time they change another person’s life.
You see, every student is unique and has their own learning process; they bring with them what they’ve been given along the way from previous school experiences. Some of those experiences have been good and some not, but our program and it’s instructors in performing “that magic” I’m referring to helps the student who possibly wasn’t the best student in the past to realize their potential.
I’ll be honest I’ve seen students that initially were a concern, and wondered if they could complete the program, and not just from an academic perspective but also the emotional component. Massage therapy education changes you, it asks you to open up to a side of you that you may have not explored before, but when you do your relationship with others is enhanced and mostly your relationship with yourself is more realized.
I was recently in an airport returning from a trip with my family and saw the massage kiosk in the terminal with 3 of our graduates working, which was very gratifying. As I walked further through the terminal a former student walked over to me with a boarding pass in her hand she said hello and I asked how she was and if she was working she said she was and she was loving life. I asked her where she was going and she said, “Oh, I’m taking one of my long weekend trips”. “”I work 4 days and then take a few days a month to travel”. “My career has allowed me to do this”. This particular student had both academic struggles and personal issues initially but she stuck it out, made the sacrifices and made her own magic. Happiness, through self-realization, calling her own shots and helping others at the same time.
I love what I do, I love making massage therapists and I love watching the magic.
FEBRUARY MORNING CLASS – 6 Month Program – Now Enrolling.
Schedule: Mon – Thurs 8:15am -1 2:45pm
First day of class: February 4, 2016
Last day of class: July 28, 2016